Melissa Satta-Boateng – Sassuolo’s newest WAG

In July 2018, Melissa Satta joined Oriana Sabatini on the WAG roster of the Italian league, Serie A. Melissa is most recognized as a TV presenter, though there is much more to her than just that. Let’s take a quick look at her career and personal life.

Melissa Before Mainstream Fame

Melissa’s parents are both Italian, native to the island of Sardinia, but she was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She spent much of her childhood years going back and forth between the United States and Sardinia. According to the bio on her personal website, her career had its starts in the Miss Muretto beauty contest – which she, unfortunately, didn’t win.

She was also an athlete in her youth, playing a few years of football for Quartu Sant’Elena in the women’s C series Italian league. She also practiced karate and was actually a medalist in Sardinian and Italian championships. In 2004, she decided to move to Milan to pursue a degree in public relations. There are no records to show that she was able to complete her education and obtain a degree, however.

Young Melissa Satta

Her Rise to Fame

A year after starting college, she came into mainstream media with a television debut. In the same year, she took on a role on a satirical news program, Striscia La Notizia. The critics praised her great performance on the show. She stayed on it for three years, with several other projects on the side. These include commercials for fashion brand Sweet Years and telecom company TIM. She also had cameo roles in a few Italian movies and did some hosting for MTV and Fashion TV.

Young Melissa on the set of Striscia La Notizia

Hosting sports talk show, Tiki Taka in 2013

After leaving the news program in 2008, she took on a new project as the host of a game show, Primo E Ultimo. She started frequenting the United States that year, and she was part of the Wella advertising campaign for the American market.

In 2009, she had several projects hosting on Italian TV programs and talk shows ranging from sports to science topics. She also had minor appearances in a local sitcom. In 2010, she was part of the body painting issue for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, making her the first Italian model ever to be featured. In the same year, she became a cover girl for Maxim and again in 2013.

Since the start of her TV and modeling career, she has been in advertisements for Peugeot, Nike, Just Cavalli, and many more notable Italian and international brands.

Maxim cover

Ad for Nike Women

2010 body paint shoot for Sports Illustrated

Personal and Family Life

Given her celebrity status, she has not been immune to scandal and gossip. She was in a relationship with Italian former footballer Christian Vieri but he ended the relationship in 2011 due to her alleged infidelity. She didn’t grieve long, however, as 5 months later she was engaged to Gianluca Vacchi, an Italian businessman. While it’s not clear why they went their separate ways, let’s not forget to mention the gossip magazines catching her entering a hotel with (then-married, soon-to-be-divorced) Kobe Bryant.

It was in November of the same year that the rumors about Melissa and another footballer, Kevin-Prince Boateng, started. Damn, this girl moves fast. However, it looks like Boateng was really the one and the couple always looks very happy together. They got married in Italy in June 2016. They have one child together, 4-year-old Maddox-Prince.

Melissa with Kevin-Prince Boateng and son, Maddox-Prince

The couple for GQ

Back in 2012, Boateng was sidelined due to a thigh injury. Melissa sent fans into a frenzy when she told SuperSport that it was because they have sex 7-10 times a week. If this is indeed true, we honestly can’t blame him for risking injuries.